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Rail staff cuts will ‘threaten women’s safety’

The Women’s Institute has urged Justin Greening, the Transport Secretary, to ensure women’s safety on the railwaysIan Cumming/Getty Images

Cutting the number of staff at rail stations and on trains could put female passengers at greater risk of attack and harassment, the Women’s Institute has warned.

The leader of the institute wrote to Justine Greening, the Transport Secretary, urging her to think again about staff cuts. Ruth Bond, chairwoman of the National Federation of Women’s Institutes, cites evidence that women passengers feel reassured by the presence of uniformed staff.

Writing jointly with Frances O’Grady, general secretary of the TUC, she claims that there might be large-scale job cuts under a review of value on the railways leaving trains without conductors and ticket offices empty. That could make “train travel a dangerous and daunting option for many passengers”, they say.